One Thing

While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

The Lord answered her,“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”
–Luke 10:38-42 (CSB)

I confess that I’ve heard many devotions and messages on this passage over the years. I’ve heard teachers lament Martha’s choice to not leave the meal preparations up to the servants (despite the lack of their mention in the passage). I’ve heard this passage used to give greater weight to our prayer time than our careers, and that it might be better to forsake our household chores if we used that time instead for extra Bible study. Honestly, I thought that Martha had a point regarding the unbalanced workload. But it wasn’t until I sat on the bed reading this passage to my three children that the Spirit suddenly plunged my mind through the familiar and into new depths of understanding.

Look closer. The issue at hand is not that Martha was busy in service, but that she was “distracted” with it (v.40). She became “anxious and troubled” (ESV) by “many things,” worried that the meal preparations were not going as she desired. Will this be done on time? Have I prepared enough? What if it is not good enough for the master?

Consider the human eyes. With them we take in visual information. Our mind then interprets and evaluates that information. Once processed, the eyes are free to move on to the next thing. But what happens when the eyes pass over something the mind appraises as valuable, something that can fill a need or provide a measure of pleasure? They return. They linger. They stare, to search and examine the details in order to extract even more value. Whether it’s the beauty of a sunrise, a profound statement in a book, a tempting treat in the store, or an attractive person who walks past us, we will focus on what we deem as valuable.

But what happens as the eyes rest on such things? As the initial delight fades, do we not start noticing the emerging flaws? The colors begin to fade as the sun peaks over the horizon? Words become familiar and begin to bore as the next sentence beckons us to continue. The edible delicacies soon grow stale. And on closer inspection of physical beauty, imperfections emerge and promise only to become more glaring with age.

Now consider the same in regards to the eyes of the heart. It may seem profitable for a short moment to focus on our work, our blessings, our neighbor, ourselves. But after we linger, the spiritual flaws quickly emerge.

If our eyes persist upon our work, we eventually will see it for the toil that it is, and become quickly dissatisfied with its futility (Gen 3:17; Ecc 2:22-23). As soon as I’m done preparing this meal and clean up, it will be time to start preparing the next one.

“What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.” –Ecclesiastes 1:3,5

If our eyes persist upon the fruits of our labor, we will soon see that every finished feast is quickly consumed, and every satisfied stomach will soon be growling for more. How often we stake our happiness on the fickle preferences of others, or on the things of this world that are so quickly consumed. I hope everyone likes and appreciates this meal.

“All man’s labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach—yet his appetite is never satisfied!” –Ecclesiastes 6:7

If our eyes wonder to others, we quickly notice desirable blessings that God has given them, and then covet those things for ourselves (Rom 7:7). We are halted in obedience because we are too preoccupied with the actions of others (John 21:21-22). I wish I got to just sit down and enjoy myself like my sister. We open the door of our heart to envy and hatred (Jam 4:2; Ecc 9:6), which is murder (Gen 4:5-8; Mat 5:22; 1Jo 3:15), because we buy into the lie that God is withholding good from us (Gen 3:4).

“Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.” –Ecclesiastes 4:4

And if our eyes remain on ourselves, we become consumed about our performance, which always will fall short (Rom 3:23), and grow worried over our own needs, things that were never suppose to bring us concern (Mat 6:25-34). This meal will never be good enough for the Master; and this dress is just ruined by this mess. And thus we worry because we trust not in the Lord’s abilities or character. We think that God is either unable to attend to all of our needs, or He is careless to them.

“This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: The same fate awaits everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives—then they die.” –Ecclesiastes 9:3

Have not our spiritual eyes worn themselves out? Do we not grow tired of looking, searching for a thing to capture our attention and provide the satisfaction for which we long?

“All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” –Ecclesiastes 1:8
 
“I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.” –Ecclesiastes 1:14

What are we to do then? Is there no rest for our weary eyes? Is our heart destined to rest upon wind? For where can we cast them if all that is under the sun is vanity?

We must look above.

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth.” –Colossians 3:1-2

There is only one place of rest for the eyes of our hearts—to look upon the Son (Job 19:25-27). For He is the purpose of their creation (Col 1:16), the “one thing” (Luke 10:42) that is needed. Nothing else was meant to satisfy, so if our spiritual eyes rest upon anything else, they grow weary.

Now look closely at Martha’s accusation: “Don’t you CARE,” she asked (Luke 10:40), “that my sister has left ME to serve alone?” Her focus was on herself, the task before her becoming a burden, the envy of others (“my sister”) taking root, which then drove her to accuse Jesus of being inattentive to her plight. She believed injustice was occurring under a negligent eye. But in truth, it was her eye that was negligent. She stopped paying attention to Jesus, and started focusing completely upon the things of this earth.

Consider these same words being uttered earlier in Jesus’ ministry during a great storm when the disciples woke Jesus who was asleep in the back of the boat. Jesus did not question their faith on account of their negative thinking about their own abilities to fight the storm, nor for their coming to Him for help. He took issue with the way they accused him of apathy: “Don’t you care if we die?” (Mar 4:38). They doubted His good character. That’s what happens when we take our eyes off the Savior and focus on that which is under the sun (our work, our earthly rewards, others, ourselves, the storms): We see only the futility of trying to grasp satisfaction from creation.

But when we focus on Jesus, we find true satisfaction (even when all other pleasures have left us).

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ,” –Philippians 3:8

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another.” –Job 19:25-27

But do not misunderstand this “one thing” to be a place of inactivity. Martha was not wrong for engaging in meal preparation. She was cooking for the King! What an honor and privilege. But she failed to see the purpose of the task, and saw only the burden of it apart from Him. Work was never to be the satisfier, but worship unto the Satisfier. Thus, when we focus on Jesus, our work becomes worship instead of toil.

“Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.” –Colossians 3:23-24

Our material blessings were never to be the object of our love, but merely a physical demonstration of God’s love for us (Jam 1:17). So when we focus on Him, we can truly enjoy our material blessings for what they are (Ecc 2:26), seize the opportunity for “many thanks to God” (2Co 9:11-12; 1Ti 4:4), and rejoice in the greater, eternal reward that resides for us in heaven.

“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and devouring insect destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and devouring insect do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” –Matthew 6:19-21

We were never to evaluate the blessings of others, but merely count our own and be filled with thanksgiving. Thus the eyes that remain upon the Lord are so engaged in thanksgiving that they see not the bounty of their neighbor, nor are they distracted by the different paths to which God has called others. Rather, they love others and do not covet what is not theirs (Rom 13:9), and they find the secret of contentment—giving thanks in all circumstances (1Th 5:18).

“In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.”
 –Philippians 4:12b-13

And as for ourselves, we were never the purpose of our own existence. We were created for His workmanship (Eph 2:10), not our own. Thus, all of our needs are in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father, just as He consistently cares for all of Creation (Mat 6:25-34). So we depend on His loving provisions (Psa 123:2), so that we can remain focused on building His Kingdom (Mat 6:33).

Martha could have had this “one thing” even while she served others. And so can we. How often are we involved in good work or doing the right thing, but we miss out on the blessing of pleasing Christ because our focus is on ourselves instead of on Him? Jesus is not suggesting that we devote ourselves to the monastical life (although we are called to constant prayer and Biblical reflection, see 1Th 5:17; Psa 1:2). He is not telling us to “stop doing,” but to stop doing for ourselves. He is telling us to continually have the spiritual posture of a disciple (“at His feet”), regardless of the activity of our physical bodies. 

So keep your eyes ever on Jesus. In Him all things find their proper place. Not in our focus as a distraction, but in our peripheral for our worship.